Basalit an
by SquidEmpire
Summary: Depressed and alone after Fenris left her, Hawke finds comfort in the least likely of people.  MA/NSFW FHawke/Arishok


Hawke stood at the end of the pier, her eyes closed as the cool sea winds wrapped around her. Tonight she could not stand to drink herself into a stupor with her comrades, all while he watched. Those unwavering green eyes silently judging her from over the rim of his stein as he watched from a secluded corner of the Hanged Man. Their glances would catch and she would have to look away quickly, pretend like she wasn't aching from the loss of him. She had spent too many nights of forcing herself to laugh during card games with her crew, sinking her depression deep into her stomach to be drowned under each round of bitter ale. She would lose it all night after night, throwing the coins she had in her pouch onto the table, and eventually her treasured rings and necklace which she very well could not afford to lose. It was a shameful ritual that all her teammates saw through. She would awake the next morning to find Isabela had placed all of her items neatly on her desk along with some of her gold. She might sympathize with Hawke but she had bar tabs to pay after all.

She felt pathetic asking Fenris to join her on every mission, revelling in his company even if they were both covered in the blood of their enemies. Her heart soared every time she saw him and the red silk of hers that he kept bound around his wrist, even if it felt like it had lost all of its meaning after so long apart. With her family now dead and gone she had never felt so alone and lost. Every day she fought against men and women who had caved to all sorts of evils, twisted by desperation or greed. Kirkwall seemed to choke the humanity out of so many, the streets plagued by gangs, people stolen from their homes and sold as casually as meat. Hawke strove to do what was right above all as the city seemed to crumble around her. She was thankful for the loyal friends she had been so lucky to find in this chaos, but above all she wanted someone to lose herself in. To feel protected and wanted, someone to make the madness around her bearable.

Hawke undid her belt and slipped off her finery, stepping out of the pile of embroidered silks as she pulled off her boots. Aveline's guards had done a good job of keeping peace in the docks tonight. There wasn't a soul around the moonlit piers as Hawke stood in her underwear, her hands covering her eyes as she sobbed silently, wallowing in her own self-pity for a moment. The anchored boats creaked quietly as they bobbed gently in the water.

And then she dove.

Hawke hadn't swam since she was a child. She remembered Betthany and Carver splashing her as she stood on the shore of a small lake, afraid of the cold depths. She missed them so much.

The cold water swallowed her up as she sank into the depths, moonlight illuminating her body as she twisted and kicked to the surface. She gasped for air, whipping her hair back out of her face. She dove again, swimming underneath the docked ships and surfacing on the other side. She crossed underneath the last boat, a giant freighter. Using the stiff anchor's chain to pull herself forward with all her might she darted through the darkness and relaxed. Her body turned as she let herself spiral towards the surface, her exhaled breath dancing against her skin before breaking off from her form.

She surfaced on her back, gasping for air and brushing the hair from her face as she gazed up into the starry sky. Her curves glistened as she leaned back in the water, her wet undergarments completely see-through against her firm body. This was exactly the kind of private time she needed to unwind and forget a little. She closed her eyes and lazily slid a hand over a hard nipple and down her body, roaming to waistband of her underwear.

"Shanedan, Serah Hawke."

Hawke nearly drowned right there from the shock of hearing that deep authoritative voice. She immediately swung her legs down into the water to submerge herself in a frenzied splash, coughing and sputtering from having gasped in some water. There was a stone landing that stretched out like a concrete beach a couple of feet above water level. In the back were a set of stone steps leading back into the main areas of the qunari compound. How Hawke had not noticed the crackling fire that burned on this landing, let alone the Arishok himself who had been sitting there the entire time was beyond her. She had not realized that there was any part of the city other than the piers that had access to the water, and despite the coolness of the sea she could feel her face burn with embarrassment.

"Arishok!" Hawke wheezed.

The giant horned qunari smirked ever so slightly as he watched her submerge herself up to her neck, her eyes wide and fierce. He was seated on a large wooden bench that was covered in a beautifully embroidered red blanket. The small fire pit beside him heated a kettle and the remains of what looked like an entire leg of lamb.

Hawke still mortified, hoped against hope that the Arishok had somehow not seen her touching herself. "I didn't know the viscount had given your army a compound with a waterfront view."

"Obviously not." The Arishok replied bluntly.

Hawke sank a little deeper into the water, her cheeks flaring up even hotter. She kicked back away from the shore in surprise as the Arishok stood and extended a clawed hand to her. Hawke hesitantly floated closer to shore, unsure of what to do. She was practically naked and she clung desperately to her remaining dignity by keeping her body submerged. On the other hand here was the Arishok, his silver eyes cutting deep into her and making her feel all the more exposed and vulnerable. His face was stern and yet held an alluring strength in his expression, a steadiness that was calming and reassuring. Hawke had seen him furious and exhausted by the hostile environment of Kirkwall during her brief visits to the compound. He always seemed to be seething with rage, violence just barely contained. This however was different. She had stumbled into a rare private moment and he seemed calm and welcoming.

Not wanting to be rude, she slowly placed her hand in his. His touch sent a shiver of excitement down her body. This was the first time Hawke had touched a qunari, and she felt all the more shy to touch the Arishok himself. His clawed hand dwarfed hers as his fingers gently closed around her entire hand. With one swift movement the Arishok pulled Hawke up out of the water, not taking his eyes off of her as he placed her on the ground in front of him. He pulled the blanket off of his bench and wrapped it around Hawke's shoulders. She was taken aback by the Arishok's kindness and stared at him in awe as he sat back down, reaching for the steaming kettle.

"What passes for tea here," he scoffs, pouring a cup and offering it to Hawke.

Hawke, still shocked by the combination of the Arishok essentially seeing her naked and then offering her his blanket and now a cup of tea slowly takes the cup from his hand. "Thank you. Do you mind if I sit?"

The Arishok's stern expression does not waver, but he slightly nods to the spot beside him on the bench and continues to stare out at the sea. Hawke sits beside him, gripping the blanket closed around her and inhaling the smells of the tea.

"This is nice," she says taking a small sip. "Have you tried the types from Orlais that are in the market?"

"No. The markets here are troublesome."

Hawke smiles. Qunari do not have a currency, she imagined that the viscount had worked out an agreement with the merchants to accommodate the qunari army with some sort of bartering. "I have never tasted qunari tea before. I've read that Seheron's streets smell of spices and tea leaves."

"They do."

Hawke thinks that she can hear the smallest hint of wistfulness in his voice. His gaze remains fixed on the horizon. She had never been this close to him before and her eyes drifted over his muscled chest. He smelled of dye and the well oiled armour he wore. Beneath that there were hints of incense and exotic scents she did not recognize. He was an attractive man, his face ferocious and handsome at the same time, his body in peak physical shape. Perhaps Hawke was just craving any sort of physical intimacy with a man, but it took all of her willpower not to lean over to him and let her desires take hold of her. The fresh memory of his warm hand, strong enough to crush her bones and yet surprisingly gentle as he lifted her with ease. His eyes not staring directly at her body but yet not looking away. He was no more easy to read now in this quiet moment they shared than he had been in their previous tense meetings. She could not tell if she was an annoyance to him even now and he had just extended her a courtesy because she was basalit-an, or if this was a sign of something more. She was so entangled in her own fantasies she could barely think straight, feeling like she was in constant danger but also inexplicably drawn to him.

"I could bring you some," she blurted out. "Some tea. I could show you the market."

The Arishok looked at her, his inhuman gaze intimidating and exciting her at the same time.

"I do not usually leave the compound. It could be misinterpreted."

"Right!" Hawke bolted to her feet. She felt the hotness flooding her face as she suddenly felt like an idiot. What was she doing asking out one of the triumvirate of the qunari to the market? To the market of all places, she had knots in her stomach from the sudden wave of fear and shame. "Of course. I should really get going, it's late. I didn't mean to disturb you, Arishok."

She turned around awkwardly, where to go? Should she dive back into the sea and swim away in complete humiliation or walk up those stone steps into the main enclosure of the compound, to be seen by the guards and possibly feel even more embarrassed to be walking out in her wet underclothes and a blanket. She chose to brave the shame of exiting the main gates of the compound over diving back into the water and started up the steps, not looking back as she darted towards the main gate. The sten who were keeping watch of the gate looked at her suspiciously, but thankfully did her the small favour of not asking any questions and letting her pass back into the city streets where she hurried home.

Bodahn and Sandal had long gone to sleep, allowing her to tiptoe over her sleeping war hound and up the stairs where she collapsed in bed, still wrapped in the Arishok's blanket. She sighed deeply and pulled it tightly around her damp body, inhaling the exotic scents and traces of campfire. Hawke could scarcely believe the events of the evening and did not know how she could ever face the Arishok again. She breathed in all the smells of the blanket and thought of the Arishok's gaze and his warm hands, imagining what it could feel like to have them on her skin.

The next morning Hawke awoke to a heavy knock at her door. She quickly threw on some finery from her closet and was walking down the stairs when Bodahn cracked open the door and gave a startled cry. Hawke's knees went weak as soon as she saw who was standing in her doorway.

There, with an escort of three sten stood the Arishok. Bodahn stood speechless with his mouth agape as Hawke stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulders.

"I'll see you later, Bodahn." She stared straight at the Arishok in disbelief as she squeezed out the half-opened door past the dumbstruck dwarf. "I'm going to the market."

What on earth had possessed Hawke to ask the Arishok to the market she could not tell, but now that he had actually shown up she was at a loss of how to react as they walked to the market together. His escorts scanned the citizens of Kirkwall for signs of aggression, always prepared. Now that they were actually walking together Hawke felt intensely embarrassed as she glanced at the Arishok's unimpressed and mildly disgusted expression as he passed by the shocked onlookers. Most people ran at the sight of the entourage, while others stood speechless at the rare sight of the qunari leader.

Hawke approached a very displeased-looking merchant who had a wide array of dried herbs and boxed teas. She quickly skimmed over the different boxes and picked out one carved from a dark wood, opening it to reveal loosely packed tea leaves.

"What do you think?" she asked the Arishok, offering the box to him. He leaned forward slightly and breathed in the scent of the tea. His bodyguards said nothing, but their expressions showed they were trying to make sense of the entire situation. His eyes flicked up to look at Hawke.

"You are different from the other humans here, Hawke." He evaluated plainly.

Hawke smiled, unsure whether or not she was being complimented or insulted. She did not get the chance to reply with a flirtatious quip. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a glint of sunlight reflected off of something metal from one of the rooftops. Her battle instincts kicked in and she reacted even before she heard the snap of the crossbow's mechanism letting loose a poison-tipped bolt. The qunari guards drew their weapons in response to Hawke's sudden aggression, but before they could attack her she was hit. The bolt stuck fast in her ribs, puncturing her lung. Without her armour she was a soft target for the assassin who readied another shot. One of the qunari launched a spear at the rooftops where the assassin was reloading his crossbow, impaling him through the chest fatally.

The market scattered as assassins burst out of houses and dropped from the rooftops. Never could Hawke have imagined that the Arishok would actually want to spend an afternoon in her company, but now she could see what a terrible mistake it was. She new there were powers at work in the chantry and government to incite a war with the qunari presence in Kirkwall. It was careless on her part to not anticipate this kind of an attack, and to be caught in such a dangerous situation unarmed and without armour could prove to be a fatal mistake. Already she felt unsteady as the poison went to work in her.

The Arishok had barely reacted, his guards were cutting through the attackers with ease while he watched calmly. Hawke was not satisfied to remain uninvolved in the fight, filled with outrage that she had actually been gravely injured by these bandits she hungrily sized up an advancing assassin. He swung his sword at her and she deftly moved around him, striking his weapon arm and knocking his grip loose. Her movements were calculated and precise as she cut down the assassin with his own weapon, moving on to more attackers. Her muscles reacted on their own, conserving her energy with smarter movements than her enemy and striking only rarely but inflicting mortal damage each time. Despite her blood frenzy her breathing was painful and becoming more and more constricted. She felt her strength slipping out of her, her clothes wet with her own blood. Then she felt nothing, her vision blurring and then going black as the sounds of the battle faded out of her reality. There goes her final shred of dignity in the eyes of the Arishok, she had been defeated in battle right in front of him in her own city by some unskilled ruffians. After countless fights against demons and mercenaries this would be her ridiculous end? Even in this state of between-life Hawke could only feel embarrassment.

She awoke to the smell of sandalwood incense. A hot towel was towel draped over her forehead. Her surroundings were strange, she was definitely in a house of some sort. She realized that she was lying in an enormous bed covered in soft red blankets, and her robe had been undone and was spread open revealing her undergarments. She glanced to her side and saw the Arishok himself mashing an Elfroot poultice with a stone mortar and pestel. When he noticed she had regained consciousness he took it as a cue to continue treating her, placing one hand on her chest. His sudden touch made Hawke jump, but not as much as what came next.

"This will hurt." He growls.

He leaned over her and placed his lips on the wound where the crossbow bolt had been lodged and sucked. The sensation was painful, but knowing that the Arishok's lips and tongue were on her body was incredibly arousing to Hawke. She let out a cry of ecstasy and writhed under him as he tongued and sucked at her. Quickly he pulled away and spat out poisoned bloody saliva. He then scooped the mashed poultice with his fingers and applied it to Hawke's wound, taking some bandages from the night table near her. He leaned close to her again, sliding a hand under her back to slip the bandage around her. She arched her back, raising her chest inches from the Arishok's face. He carefully bound her, saying nothing. Hawke wondered if he could hear her heart pounding in her chest, feel the blood pulsating through her body. She felt the muscles between her legs ache as she moistened. Without thinking she touched his long white hair.

Her mind was clearing, but she could scarcely believe her own actions. The Arishok looked at her, not saying a word. He quietly evaluated the situation, searching Hawke's face. She stared back at him, her gaze unwavering. His clawed hand reached for one of the chest straps of his armour and began to unbuckle his shoulder plates.

Hawke pulled herself upright into a sitting position against the headboard of the bed as the Arishok stood bare-chested in front of her, not taking his eyes off of her. Her robe slid off of her shoulders as she moved back, the Arishok undid the sash around his waste and began pulling his armoured skirt open, revealing his tightening undergarment.

Hawke inhaled sharply as he kneeled down onto the bed, her heart felt like it would explode out of her chest in anticipation. He slowly moved over her, his gigantic body blocking out the candlelight from the wooden chandeliers above. A clawed hand moved behind Hawke's back, slowly and carefully undoing her laced brassiere. She felt a hot sensation of shyness creep over her as he pulled away her undergarment, revealing her ample bare breasts. Hawke leaned forward and planted a firm kiss on the Arishok's mouth, licking up across his lips to his nose before resting her gaze back on him. A deep growl of arousal rumbled in the Arishok's chest as he returned the kiss, forcing his tongue into Hawke's mouth and gripping her hair in his clawed fist. He held her head against his as he ran his tongue against hers, wrapping around it and exploring her entire mouth and lips. Meanwhile his other hand gripped one of her breasts firmly, rolling her nipple between his fingertips careful to avoid his claws. She moaned into his mouth and lifted her leg up, hooking a toe into the waistband of the Arishok's undergarment and forcing it down to expose his massive engorged length. She gasped slightly at the sight of it, the Arishok had moved his hand from her breast down her stomach where he slipped two claws fingers into her underwear. Always careful to touch with the pads of his fingertips and angle his claws away he slipped his fingers between her wet folds and stroked up and down slowly, growling into her mouth as she moaned and gripped his waist pulling him with all her might. He did not move, and kept stroking her gently as she grew wetter and wetter.

Hawke broke away from him, pushing him onto his back so she could straddle his waist. The Arishok growled deeply as she sucked his neck, dragging her tongue down his chest and massaging his body with her hands at the same time. She slid down him, letting his erection move between her breasts a short while before putting her tongue back on him. She kissed his stomach and moved lower, dragging a line with her tongue through his hairs and up the entire length of his shaft. He shuddered under her as she took him into her mouth, sucking gently. She could barely move up and down on him as he was so thick. The Arishok growled with pleasure, but had become impatient. He gripped Hawke by the shoulders hard, pulling her off of him and turning to flip her underneath him. She felt the weight of his body as he lowered onto her, spreading her legs for him as he moved the tip of himself against her wet opening. She pulsated with desire, her eyes mesmerized by his silver stare. There were no words as he slowly increased the pressure against her opening, sliding just the tip inside of her. Hawke gasped and moaned with delight as she stretched around him. She felt him place a clawed hand under her buttocks pulling her up against him slowly, sinking himself millimetres at a time as she moaned and writhed uncontrollably underneath him. The unbearable moments stretched as he continued his slow descent, not wanting to injure her, not sure if this would work. His chest lowered against hers, the red dye rubbing off onto her breasts as he pressed against her sinking completely into her at last. She could feel his steady heartbeat against her body, calm anf focused whereas she was about to explode.

Hawke dug her nails into his back as he started moving inside her, she cried out in pleasure as he drove against her faster and faster. She bucked against him as vigorously, dripping with wetness as she built up quickly towards her climax. She had never been filled so completely, every inch of her stimulated. She clenched hard onto him as she came, moaning into his neck and inciting him to continue even faster. He gripped her buttocks even harder, drawing blood as he rocked himself into her panting and growling as he neared his end. Suddenly he released her and gripped the top of the headboard with both hands, the wood splintering in his grip as he slammed his hips into her shuddering as he released himself and spilled down her legs.

The Arishok stayed inside her a while still holding onto the headboard as he panted heavily, his eyes closed. He slowly moved out of her and collapsed into the blankets beside her, rolling onto his back. She smiled, breathless and sweaty as she pressed her body against his burning side and drifted off to sleep.

Hawke and he were worlds apart. She knew very well that the qunari did not mate out of love and expected nothing of the Arishok. Tonight they had found a much needed release in each other but both understood that it would remain an isolated instance of passion. Tomorrow they would return to their worlds, and the reality of their relationship. Hawke only hoped that she could see the Arishok complete his mission and leave the city in peace.


End file.
